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Jake hasn’t changed a single thing in here.
Feeling more confident, I go further inside the house and check out the kitchen. The same old kettle and a spotty microwave sit on the counter. It looks like my absence had zero effect on Jake’s life.
Anger and hatred erupt in my chest but I don’t allow myself to dwell on my emotions. This isn’t the time to wallow in guilt and self-loathing. Walking out of the kitchen, I decide to take a look inside his bedroom too.
The door to Jake’s bedroom is slightly ajar.
Pushing it open, I’m about to walk in when an unexpected sight stops me in my tracks. An icy chill spreads through me as I stare at the naked woman who’s tied up to the bed’s headrest.
“What the fuck,” I whisper, slowly walking inside.
Only a bedside lamp illuminates the room. The dim light is enough for me to make out the bruises on her young face. Several cigarette burns mark her bare arms, breasts, and neck.
Rage thrashes through me as I see my past self in the woman before me.
Jake treated me the same way when I was dating him. He’d be rough with me and leave me with bruises and similar burns all over my body. He masked his cruelty as possessiveness and love, and like a fool I believed him.
A faint groan sounds in the room.
“Jake?” the woman moans. “Is that you?” She slowly opens her eyes and blinks several times, like she’s trying to focus her gaze on me.
Shit! We didn’t plan for this, I think as the stranger stares at me.
“Who are you?” she asks, struggling against the ropes binding her wrists.
I remain silent while I try to decide what to do. Should I help her?
“Please, help me!” the woman cries out. “Please, let me go before he comes back.”
I take a step back from the bed. Unable to make a decision, I tap my earpiece.
“Are you guys seeing this?” I speak softly.
“Yes, we see her,” Seth’s voice sounds clearly in my ear. “Walk out of there and lock the door. You don’t have the luxury to be distracted right now.”
“But—”
“Rory, focus!” Seth says in a loud commanding tone. “Get out of there and look for the servers.”
Closing my eyes, I nod. “Okay.”
A desperate look comes over the young woman as she watches me step further away from her.
“Please, don’t leave,” she says in a choked voice. “Help me. Please...”
Pity wells up inside me. I want to untie her and help her escape this torturous situation but Seth’s command still rings in my head.
“I’ll come back to help you,” I promise her.
“No, don’t go,” the young woman begs me. “Don’t leave me here.”
Moving closer to her, I grab a sheet from the corner of the bed and cover her body with it.
“I promise I’ll come back for you, okay?” I say, gently caressing her hair. “For now, I need to do something important. It’s the only way I can save you from the monster who’s keeping you here.”
A defeated look spreads on her young face. Tears roll down her cheeks as she looks away from me.
“Rory, stop wasting time,” Seth’s voice rings in my ear. “Get out of there already.”
